The breastroke is one of the most distinctive strokes in competitive swimming.  It is useful for slowly slinking through the water in your backyard pool, or it can be used to propel you to a win in a competitive race. This stroke is one of the most challenging strokes  for beginning swimmers to learn to master. While you may need a bit of time to get the hang of it, once you learn this stroke, you will marvel at how much strength you have gained as a swimmer. Prior to attempting to learn this stroke, it is obviously crucial that you understand water safety techniques and have a grasp of basic swimming skills. There should not be any fear of submerging your face, or even your whole body for that matter, underwater. It is important that you are able to breathe rhythmically. Anyone who has not mastered these skills is well advised to seek additional instruction from a local swimming resource.
It would be a good idea to have basic swimming lessons anyway, since swimming is one of those skills best taught by a live instructor.  Everyone who teaches swimming ought to have earned American Red Cross or another type of water safety certification.   Though private swim instruction may be costly, it is optimal for mastering the breastroke, as the teacher will be able to devote substantial attention to your individual technique, instead of being distracted by keeping an eye of the form and safety of the rest of the class. I enjoyed learning the breastroke as an advanced beginning swimmer. It has become the stroke that I use the most now.  This is how I was taught the stroke.  Please read the directions first and for safety purposes, try them out on the floor first, so that you are sure that you have a good firm grasp before trying it in the water. It’s best to learn the kick first and then the arms.  Once you can do them comfortably, then you can combine them.

The breastroke kick


1. Lie prostrate on the floor or on a chair without arms, a bench, or a stool.
2.    Draw your knees up as close to your chest as possible.
3. At this stage, imagine the form of a frog: kick both legs out to each side as broadly as possible, and then shift them into an arc to the point at which they are back together and directly behind you. These movements must be crisp and fluid.
4. Anyone experiencing difficulty with the kick should try standing while grasping a chair with the right hand. Raise your left knee to your chest (or as high as possible) then circle your knee outward.  The left knee will be splayed leftward. Now, hold and then lower your leg. Do these same movements with the right side. Such movements should enable you to grow accustomed to the sideways opening of both legs. Eventually you will coordinate these movements.

The breastroke pull


5. While you are still lying face down on the ground or any of the other options, bring your hands to your chest, now hold them in the prayer position, with your palms together and your thumbs up.
6. Keeping those palms together, you'll need to extend your arms above your head, this is very similar to the exalted warrior pose, if you are familiar with yoga. Hold this pose a moment (this will be part of your glide when you actually do the breastroke.
7. Now you will turn your palms outward and away from each other. Quickly and smoothly push your arms to your sides. 
8. Just at the time your arms are reaching your sides, move you hands and your forearms upward, so that they come back into the prayer position once more.
Combination
9. Remain lying face down on the stool. Bring your legs, as well as your hands, as close to your chest as you are capable of, as we described earlier.
10. Kicking both legs in a frog-like movement, draw both hands upward into the previously mentioned exalted warrior pose.
11. At the point both legs are in the prone position (extended lengthwise and directly behind you), pause momentarily, and then draw the arms down and around as discussed previously. As your arms move down, raise your head and chest slightly, to imitate the movement you’ll need for breathing.
12. Draw both the hands and knees up to the chest area in order to prepare for the next sequence of movements. It was difficult for me to coordinate the arm movements and the leg movements when I was first learning the breastroke. Therefore, my instructor suggested I use a stool to simulate the movements. A good instructor will be able to assist you in mastering the necessary movements so that you will be prepared to try them in the water. The real thing,

in the water

Now that you are familiar and comfortable with these movements on dry land, you're now ready to try them out in a pool. You may want to warm up by doing that standing leg rotation exercise we did earlier.  This will reinforce the sensation of what the kick will feel like once you hit the water.
13. Start with some easy floating and perhaps some freestyle swimming in order to get acclimated and at ease with being in the water.
14. Don't think it's silly to hold onto the pool side and practice your kicks in the water.
15.    When you feel comfortable, use a paddle board and practice the kicks: First with your head out of the water.  Next, try the kicks while your face is immersed in the pool and your arms are raised over your head (like the exalted warrior pose).  This way, you will gain an understanding of the gliding element of the stroke, which is the point at which you will gain the greatest force.
16. Now that you are comfortable with the kick portion, your instructor ensures that your movements are correct, start practicing the arm movement while standing. As your arms swing down to your sides, raise your chest to practice taking a breath.
17. When you believe you have learned each of these motions, you are ready to bring them into a unified stroke. This was difficult for me at the start, however, my instructor told me to imagine that I am a dolphin that is leaping out of the water. This was very useful in assisting me with putting the arm movements and breathing techniques together.

Learning how to time the movements just right is the hardest part of learning the breastroke. The part of the breastroke in which you move forward the most is the glide portion of the stroke. The trick is to glide forward as much as possible before starting the next stroke, the motions of which will slow you down slightly.  Check out these breastroke world record times.